Two men and a woman have been arrested and are facing a total of 59 charges in connection with a coordinated series of credit card thefts that spanned multiple provinces. The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) announced on Monday that the trio is suspected of stealing credit cards from fitness facility locker rooms and using them for fraudulent purchases.
Investigation Details
The investigation began in March 2026 after reports of a break-in at a fitness centre locker room in Edmonton, where several credit cards were stolen. Police allege that the same individuals were linked to additional thefts in Manitoba and Ontario before being located and arrested in Winnipeg in April 2026.
Modus Operandi
According to investigators, two suspects would carry out the thefts at fitness facilities, targeting unattended lockers. They would then quickly hand over the stolen credit cards to a third suspect, who would immediately use them to make fraudulent purchases. This coordinated effort allowed the group to exploit the cards before victims could report them missing.
Scope of Crimes
The three individuals have been linked to at least 18 separate incidents in northeast Edmonton, as well as several occurrences in Manitoba and Ontario. In Edmonton alone, the total value of fraudulent purchases is estimated to exceed $25,000.
Arrests and Charges
The suspects—Livia Cozma, Orlando-Constantin Vaduva, and Bogdan Todica—were arrested in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They now face a combined total of 59 charges, including multiple counts of theft of credit card, fraud under $5,000, and theft under $5,000.
Law Enforcement Cooperation
Constable Binoy Prabhu of the EPS virtual investigation unit expressed gratitude for the assistance provided by the Halton Regional Police Service, the Winnipeg Police Service, and the Canadian Border Services Agency. He emphasized that the investigation highlights the importance of cross-provincial cooperation among law enforcement agencies.
“This investigation illustrates our ever-increasing capacity to work across provincial boundaries to locate and charge those who attempt to travel to other jurisdictions to evade local police and continue criminal activity elsewhere,” said Cst. Prabhu.
